Life-cycle structural assessment of industrial heritage buildings

The industrial complex of cast iron foundries located in Multedo (Genoa, Italy) was established in 1917 and represents a remarkable example of industrial archaeology. The factory is not in use since many years and its buildings, mostly made by reinforced concrete structures, are severely damaged by aging and deterioration processes, mainly related to chloride induced corrosion of the reinforcing steel bars. The feasibility of a reuse of the industrial complex has been investigated through experimental tests and numerical analyses. This paper summarises the main results of such activity, with emphasis on the life-cycle assessment carried out to describe the chloride diffusion process, the effects of reinforcing steel corrosion, the time-variant loss of structural performance and the consequent reduction of structural safety.